'Do you have any…': Indian product manager says his answer to this final interview prompt cost him the job

An Indian product manager based in Canada has sparked a conversation on interview preparation after sharing how one question during the final stage of a hiring process may have cost him a job offer.

His LinkedIn post has struck a chord with professionals, many of whom shared similar experiences and debated whether interviewers evaluate candidates as much on their questions as on their answers.

Gogna said he was interviewing for a role at a startup in the used-car business. According to him, he had successfully cleared all the interview rounds, and the HR team had even asked him to submit his documents as the hiring process was nearing completion.

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Before extending the offer letter, however, the company scheduled one final conversation with the CEO.

According to Gogna, the discussion went smoothly and he felt optimistic about his chances. Towards the end of the meeting, the CEO asked him whether he had any questions.

Hoping to ask something insightful, Gogna asked, “Are you considering getting into the two-wheeler market?”

Instead of answering, the CEO responded with a question of his own: “What do you think? Should we?”

Gogna later admitted that while he had thoroughly researched the company’s four-wheeler business, he had not thought about its prospects in the two-wheeler segment.

“I had done my homework on the four-wheeler area but I had nothing on two wheelers. I floundered through an answer that did not have any point of view,” he wrote in his LinkedIn post.

What happened next

According to Gogna, HR contacted him the following day to inform him that the company had selected another candidate for the role. While he acknowledged that he could not know the exact reason behind the decision, he felt the final exchange may have influenced the outcome.

Reflecting on the experience, Gogna wrote, “We spend so much time preparing answers and almost no time preparing our questions. Your closing question is the last data point they get on how you think, so treat it with the same seriousness. Know why you are asking it, and be ready in case it comes right back at you.”

Social media weighs in

The post quickly gained traction, with many professionals sharing similar interview experiences.

One user wrote, “The question wasn’t the problem. The moment it came back to you, the interviewer wanted to understand your thinking process. It’s less about having the right answer and more about having a reasoned opinion.”

Another commented, “I’ve always believed the interview isn’t over until you walk out of the room. The questions you ask are often remembered more than the answers you give because they reflect your curiosity and business sense.”

A third user said, “This is why I always tell candidates to prepare three or four thoughtful questions in advance. If you’re asking about strategy, growth or expansion, you should also be ready to explain your own perspective.”

A fourth user added, “Sometimes interviewers deliberately flip your question back to you. They’re testing how you think on your feet, how you deal with ambiguity and whether you can back your ideas with logic.”